A tease!

Remember we built the new end tables for the family room?  You can read about it here.
Well I had stained the tops and was about to start painting the legs when it turned HOT !  Over 100, so I didn't want to be painting outside in the heat.  And since we were getting ready to leave on vaca, the tables came inside to rest.

Well now we are back and I have been, priming, painting, distressing and staining!

Here is a little sneak peak, I will have the final reveal hopefully later this weekend.

Toodles,

Laura

 

* table plans by the
 the awwesome Ana at





 




 

Linking to:

I'm back!

Sorry, we were in the Sierra's for a week for some much needed R & R!  Love going there and going fishing!
This year we took my mom.  She had never been and since my Dad had heart issues they could never come when we came.  She loved it and now is a bonified fisherwoman!

Here she is with her catch!  She caught her limit plus one!  SSHH, don't tell anyone!

This is Silver Lake, our most favorite spot in the Sierra's!  LURVE it!

We had a great time fishing and enjoying the beautiful weather.  The only down side was the mosquitoes!  Awful, never seen them that bad.  DD just was eaten alive!  We had bug spray too! But they got through her shirt, her back was covered with bites!

Here are a few pics from our week.  Hope you enjoy!

Laura

A little building!

Remember how I said I wanted to get rid of the 80's in my family room?  Well I got a little help.

Have you checked out Ana at Knock Off Wood  ?  She has great easy to use plans for anything and everything you can think of!  So I found the plans for the Tryde side table and showed them to DH.  I think he was impressed that I wanted us to make something vs. buying something.  So off to Lowes we went.

Here is a pic of DH sawing away.

We cut all our pieces, we are making 2 end tables, and away we went!

Well at least some of us worked.  Maggie enjoyed laying in the sawdust!











Here is a pic of one of the tables finished before filling and sanding.

The second one went much faster.  We did learn that not all 2x4's are the same.  I believe that Ana's plans are for ones that are 3.5 " and ours were 3.5/8.  So one of the boards on the table top had to have a little shaved off.  But no biggee.  Love how it turned out.

So on Sunday, I filled and sanded, and sanded, and sanded.  And today I went and got the stain, Minwax Gel Stain in Rustic Oak.

I love how it turned out.  I wanted lots of knots and personality on the top, and this shows it great.
It is getting warm out today, I think 93 now, so I will stop for now and wait for it to set.  I am thinking I will paint the legs white then distress them a little.

You will have to come back later and see the finished tables!

Have a great day!

Laura

I need help! My brutally honest before!

We we 'refreshed' the house 2 years ago, the family room pretty much stayed the same.  We had already painted and put up crown, we didn't need new furniture and we were pretty happy with it.  Well now I am ready for a change.  Here is my 'honest' family room, sans any cleaning or straightening up!

I am thinking about doing a board and batten wall treatment on this wall and the wall to the left.  I think we will leave the color, just add the white to brighten it up.








See the side table to the right of the couch, they are 26 years old, the lamp too.  They need to be 'refreshed!

Here is our 22 yr old fireplace.  While we do like the brick, I think it is ready for a change.  The mantle is the only builders oak left in the house.  I really want to beef it up with corbels and additional molding.










Here is a close up of the table and lamp

I am trying to think of a way to repurpose the table, they are really to wide, but how do I get rid of the rounded edges.  The lamps I am wondering if I can paint black and frost the glass?

Now the only thing I need to do in convince DH this 'needs' to be done!

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Toodles,

Laura

Happy 4th of July!

Hope you are all having a great day with family and friends!

This holiday always reminds me of my grandfather, Andrew M. Strang.  He fought in World War I and his he was born July 3, 1898.  When ever I put out our antique 48 star flag it reminds me of him.  He so loved the flag.

Here is a pic of a little craft I put together just yesterday.  Yeah I know I am late to the party.

I bought some wood letters at JoAnn's and decided to do a collage of scrapbook papers with modge podge.  Gotta love the stuff.

I did the U in red, the S in white and the A in blue.  It was a lot of fun all be it messy!  DH helped me to hang it and I love how it turned out!  Here is a pic of our house this year.

I loved how it turned out.  With the 48 star flag, the banner and USA.  We are one of the 1st houses you see as you drive into the tract, so it is nice to represent well.

Hope you had a great holiday.

Toodles,

Laura